The digital dance music competition marked its fourth yr, attracting roughly 45,000 to Pier 80 for 2 days of booming beats on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 20-21. Regardless of the waterfront occasion’s historical past of drawing an inflow of noise complaints from neighbors each within the metropolis and throughout the bay, nevertheless, organizers seem to have succeeded of their noise mitigation.
Final weekend’s occasion noticed a 31% lower in whole complaints in comparison with 2024’s competition, in response to the Leisure Fee, which oversees Portola because it takes place on Port of San Francisco property.
The Leisure Fee and competition promoter Goldenvoice obtained a complete of 154 complaints — 69 on Saturday and 85 on Sunday — by way of San Francisco’s 311 assist line, the competition’s hotline and e mail.
Against this, final yr recorded a complete of 224 complaints, with 24 on the primary day of Portola and one other 200 on its closing evening.
Nonetheless, complaints from residents within the East Bay appear to have elevated.
Of this yr’s complaints, a complete of 37 originated from San Francisco, whereas 117 have been from the East Bay. That’s up from the 80 complaints from the East Bay in 2024 — and but higher than the competition’s second version, which drew 203 complaints from the area.
For Alameda alone, the town’s communications and legislative affairs director and public data officer, Sarah Henry, advised the Chronicle that its police division obtained 51 telephone calls associated to Portola — 22 on Saturday and 29 on Sunday.
Nonetheless, Portola’s 2025 statistics mirror a concerted effort to cut back its total noise impression.
Further sound mitigation precautions applied this yr included extra acoustic blanketing and sound absorption panels to stop sound bleed from the Warehouse Stage, 4 extra transport containers alongside the east finish of the pier to soak up noise and an additional sound monitor terminal in San Francisco.
This was on prime of modifications launched final yr, akin to decreasing the general sound restrict by two decibels, altering the route of some phases and incorporating a number of smaller sound sources.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie was among the many tens of 1000’s of music lovers at Pier 80 for the competition, taking the stage on Saturday to introduce vocal powerhouse Christina Aguilera. The late-’90s pop star and former decide/coach on the NBC actuality singing competitors, “The Voice,” carried out a nostalgic set that included her breakthrough hit “Genie in a Bottle,” “Dirrty” and “What a Woman Desires,” amongst different songs.
Different highlights included Magdalena Bay’s synth-pop efficiency on opening day and a headlining set by large beat pioneers The Prodigy on the ultimate evening.
